Lt. Gov. Phil Scott said Thursday he's considering a run for governor in 2016.
Responding to questions from listeners on VPR'sVermont Edition, Scott said that he's doing some soul searching.
“You have to base your decision less on ego and less on your ability to win and make sure that it's something that you think that you should do for the benefit of all Vermonters,” he said. “So I have a long ways to go before making that decision. But I'm considering, and I know I have to make a decision by the end of the year.”
Scott said he’s consulting an inner circle of key supporters, trusted advisors and friends in the Senate as he weighs his options.
“And certainly my family has to be part of the equation as well, because this changes your life,” he said.
Scott said his relationship with Gov. Peter Shumlin has cooled since they were both first elected to their positions. They communicate less than they used to and he blames party politics, in part, for the divide. But he said the relationship is cordial and the governor still takes his call if they need to chat. That relationship is not a factor in his thinking on the gubernatorial race in 2016.
“This is a decision I'll have to make regardless of whether Gov. Shumlin decides to run or not,” he said.
Shumlin could be vulnerable in 2016 because he was nearly defeated in November by Republican Scott Milne, a relative newcomer to politics. Shumlin has not yet declared his intentions for next year.